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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

People like their pop culture. When I don't mock it, I like it too, but mostly for things that seem more timeless than timely, or at least have a connection to ages-old storytelling tropes and the beginnings of human civilization (and beforehand?). Anyhow, I digress. The gymnast won Dancing with the Stars, but this rant isn't really about the show. This rant is about some of the fans/trolls with their - I don't know which - purposeful trollish or unwittingly obtuse comments.

Gilles should have won, he was consistently the best dancer. Shawn is a cute kid but she was not very graceful and danced like an athlete, not a dancer! These are the same "bright" Americans who voted for our wonderful new administration. Idiots!!

Seriously? This Kathy person inserts a political jab into a frivolous pop culture episode? I personally didn't vote for any of the dancer/celebrities of this show (I only voted in one reality TV show), but I DID vote in yesterday's California election.

Another?

Diane MairTue, May 19, 2009 at 09:57 PM EST

The so called "comedian" was very insulting. Not funny at all. DO NOT bring him back next year, he was an insult to the show.

JimmyTue, May 19, 2009 at 09:05 PM EST

I think it was in poor taste to have a poor commedian [sic] come on and cut everyone down. Is this a washed up comedy show or a dance show. Remember dance show.

I'm pretty sure either one of the hosts prefaced this segment as a roast - the kind without the meat. If they're going to complain about that particular filler comedy segment, they might as well complain about the other filler segments that make up most of the show. Without the filler, the finale would be a fast version of the last 30-4o minutes (WITH commercials) of the two-hour show. Shoot, even the episodes before the finale had lots of filler. ABC makes the most money possible with these low-budget (relative to written shows) reality TV shows, and filler segments create more ad time to sell (about 20 minutes for every hour, not counting in-show product placement). I should stop myself before I start sounding like one of my very awesome professors from college, and critically analyze TV for what it really is.

In any case, similar comments will occur (or have already been posted) for tomorrow's not-Elvis vs. not-Pat Boone American Idol finale.

And yes, for the record, the pop song (that the new judge co-wrote) that both contestants sang at the end was awfully generic. With the guyliner guy's vox, it sounded like an '80s hair metal Monster Ballad that didn't make the cut. It was more the other dude's "style" (or at least fit with his "image"...I loathe to speak of image when speaking of music but whatever), if it weren't out of his vocal range.

I will speak ill of generic pop songs written by non-performing, non-recording songwriters...that is, until I get to do the same thing on a regular basis for lots of blood money compensation. In which case, I will hilariously admit to it. Then I'll keep my typing fingers quiet...all the way to the bank. Until then, art it is.